Global Weekly Review - 22.02.16

Godolphin trainer John O'Shea reports Exosphere has emerged from his disappointing trip to Flemington in good shape and said the colt is now to be prepared for the G1 T J Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 2 - and a visit to Royal Ascot in June.

Exosphere finished 4th in Saturday's G1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes - he was beaten a length and three-quarters by winner Chatauqua - but spent more than half the race floundering in the middle of the straight course.

O'Shea was not willing to be drawn into any debate on the track, but the trainer was eager for another crack at the Lightning runners in a return clash in the T J Smith.

"Our horse has run out of his skin, I am very proud of him.

"Chatauqua is a brilliant sprinter, but I am looking forward to Exosphere taking him on again at Randwick. And if all goes well with our horse after that, then we will look to running at Royal Ascot.

"We have no fears about the straight course there. The best horse usually wins. We will nominate Exosphere for both the G1 King's Stand Stakes and the G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes," he added.

O'Shea also reported that Astern had come out of his win in the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes as if he had been for morning exercise. "He's bouncing off the walls. You wouldn't know he'd had a race. Some were asking how much he had left at the finish - well, from what we've seen at home, there was plenty in the tank," he pointed out.

Astern runs next in the G2 Todman Stakes, en route to the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill on March 19.

Godolphin have plenty of important runners at Randwick on Saturday. Hartnell (James McDonald), Hauraki (Sam Clipperton) and Magic Hurricane (William Buick) all line up in the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes, the first G1 in Sydney this year.

Buick, on a lightning visit from Dubai, has a total of 4 rides for Godolphin at Randwick on Saturday. His others are Ambience, Souchez and Generalife.

The other headline Godolphin horse of the past week has been Tryster, who confounded his critics (who thought of him as just an all-weather track horse) by hacking up in the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes at Meydan, which put him on target for the G1 Jebel Hatta on March 5 and the G1 Dubai Turf on March 26.

Trainer Charlie Appleby said: "That win shows that he can be just as effective on turf. It means there are so many options for him now.

"I think we have learned that he likes to be ridden cold at the back of the field, and also that he likes a big field, where he can get covered up," he added.